AAA: SWB rained out
AA: Trenton rained out.
High A: Tampa (63-71) split a DH.
Reg. sched. game: Lost 4-0, getting just 2 hits. SS Diego Castillo’s 3 errors led to 3 unearned runs.
Makeup of 8/27 rainout: Won 5-3. Castillo 2 hits, RBI. 1B Steven Sensley 2 hits, 2 RBI.
Low A: Charleston (69-66) lost 8-5. LF Canaan Smith 2 hits, .306. RF Josh Stowers 2 RBI. C Eduardo Navas 3 hits, 2 RBI. 2 solo HR.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Minor Leagues, Players, Regular Season
From MLB.com
Yankees (Surprise): Daniel Bies, RHP; Glenn Otto, RHP; Donny Sands, C; Josh Stowers, OF; Brandon Wagner, 1B
Acquired from the Mariners in an offshoot of the Sonny Gray trade in January, Stowers has a chance to have four average or better tools, with his arm the lone exception. Otto has had difficulty staying healthy but can reach 97 mph and devastate hitters with his curveball when he’s at 100 percent.
Posted in Mike's Musings, Minor Leagues, Players
In a close vote, Aaron Boone came up second for the Manager of the Year Award.
Both he and Rocco Baldelli of the Twins got 13 first place votes, but Baldelli got 13 2nd place votes to Boone’s 9 and won the points count, 106-96.
In the NL, Mike Shildt of St. Louis won despite getting 10 first place votes to Craig Counsell of Milwaukee’s 13. Shildt got 95 points overall to Counsell’s 88.
Gabe Kapler has landed on his feet. Fired this offseason after two seasons as Phillies’ manager, he was hired as the new Giants manager. Former Yankee coach, and current Houston coach, Joe Espada, was in the running.
Lastly, from MLB.com:
The Astros released a statement on Tuesday afternoon saying they were beginning an investigation, in cooperation with Major League Baseball, after a story in The Athletic (subscription required) accused the club of stealing signs electronically in 2017, the year they won the World Series.
Posted in Awards, Managers and Coaches, Mike's Musings, Scandal
From ESPN
Tampa Bay Rays general manager Erik Neander has been voted Major League Baseball’s Executive of the Year.
Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman finished second in the voting.
Carlos Mendoza, the infield instructor, will be replacing Josh Bard as the bench coach. There is no word as to whether Bard will be staying in the organization.
Update: Bard wanted to be closer to his Colorado home.
Also, former catching coach Jason Brown won’t be on the staff.
Posted in Managers and Coaches, Mike's Musings, Offseason Moves
The Yanks and Brett Gardner are talking about keeping Gardy in the Bronx. The free agent is 36, and with Aaron Hicks to miss at least 1/2 of 2020 due to TJ surgery, the Yanks will need a CF.
On top of that, the Yanks need veteran leadership that Gardy provides.
The problem is, Gardner is 36, 37 next August, so he’ll need a competent backup (Tauchman?) because Gardy can’t be expected to play every day any more.’
The Yanks have chosen a pitching coach for 2020, and it is not David Cone, or the two college guys they interviewed earlier this week.
Instead, it is Matt Blake, who has been with Cleveland the past few years. From the NY Post:
His last job was as the Indians’ pitching coordinator and he worked for the Yankees as an area scout under Matt Hyde, who heads up the Yankees’ amateur scouting program from New Jersey to Maine and is considered among the best in the business.
Blake also has been involved with the Cressey Institute, a program that works on the strength aspect of developing athletes and has facilities in Florida and Massachusetts.
The Yankees talked to former Yankee pitcher and current YES broadcaster David Cone about the job, as well as Michigan pitching coach Chris Fetter and Arkansas’ Matt Hobbs.
Tabbing an outsider wasn’t a surprise because the Yankees didn’t renew the contract of pitching coordinator Scott Aldred and fellow pitching coordinator Danny Borrell left the organization to take the pitching coach job at Georgia Tech after the minor league season was over.
D.J. LeMahieu has won the Silver Slugger Award for best hitter at his position for 2019.
Even though he won a batting title in the N.L. with Colorado in 2016, this is still his first SS Award.
Former Yankees coach Joe Espada is considered the front runner for the SF Giants managerial job.
Posted in Awards, Managers and Coaches, Mike's Musings, Players
From the NY Post:
The Yanks have hired a new catching coach, Taylor Swanson. Swanson was the minor-league catching coordinator for the Twins this past season.
Whether Austin Romine is one of them remains to be seen. The free agent may decide he wants to start for another team rather than backup Gary Sanchez on the Yankees.
CC Sabathia may be retired, but he is doing his best to try to get one heck of a replacement for himself on the Yankees. The recently retired Yankees hurler said he has spoken “many times” with Gerrit Cole, trying to put a bug in his ear and sell him on the NY experience. Both are West Coast guys.
Initial rumors of what Cole, this year’s top free agent, could go for are 8 years, and anywhere from $250 to $280 million. Could it even hit $300 million with a ninth year?
Posted in Ex-Players, Managers and Coaches, Mike's Musings, Players
The Yankees did not extend a qualifying offer of $17.8MM to Didi Gregorius. If he leaves as a free agent, the Yanks receive no compensation.
It could be that the Yanks want him back, but at less than that figure. But Didi now can talk to anyone.
Didi made $11.75MM last season, when he missed a significant amount of time recovering from TJ surgery. He played in 82 games, and despite hitting 16 HR and driving in 61 runs, only hit .238 with an OPS+ of 87. It was his worst OPS+ since his first year with the Yanks in 2015.
One other problem is that Didi didn’t walk much. His OBP was just .276.
As such, the Yanks probably didn’t think a raise from $11.75MM to $17.8MM was warranted or deserved. IF the Yanks want him back, it probably would be for less than $17.8MM.
Didi hopes to return. We will see.
From MLB.com:
Gregorius was one of seven Yankees to hit free agency on Halloween, following right-hander Dellin Betances, outfielder Brett Gardner, right-hander Cory Gearrin (who I don’t expect back), outfielder Cameron Maybin (questionable), catcher Austin Romine (would he come back as a backup or does he want to start elsewhere) and retired left-hander CC Sabathia.
As you know, the Yankees declined a $20 million option on first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, instead paying him a $5 million buyout.
Of that group, the Yankees seem most likely to pursue a reunion with Gardner, who could man center field in the wake of Aaron Hicks’ Tommy John surgery.
The Yankees announced the following roster moves on Monday:
• Reinstated 3B Miguel Andújar, 1B Greg Bird, OF Jacoby Ellsbury and RHP Jonathan Holder from the 60-day injured list.
• Reinstated RHP Jake Barrett from the 60-day IL and outrighted him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
• LHP Tyler Lyons has elected free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
BBWAA awards:
Aaron Boone has been named as one of three finalists for AL Mgr. of the Year.
D.J. LeMahieu may get consideration for MVP, but he won’t be in the top 3. The top 3 are Bregman, Trout and Semien but the order won’t be revealed until Nov. 14.
Also from MLB.com:
The National Baseball Hall of Fame announced 10 candidates under consideration for induction as part of the 2020 Modern Baseball Era ballot: Dwight Evans, Steve Garvey, Tommy John, Don Mattingly, Marvin Miller, Thurman Munson, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker, Ted Simmons and Lou Whitaker.
Posted in Awards, Ex-Players, Managers and Coaches, Media, Mike's Musings, Offseason Moves, Players, The Front Office
Tagged Andujar, Barrett, Betances, Bird, Boone, Ellsbury, Gardner, Gearrin, Gregorius, Holder, John, LeMahieu, Lyons, Mattingly, Maybin, Munson, Romine
The Gold Glove awards were announced and DJ LeMahieu, the only Yankees’ finalist, was not a winner.
I don’t know if his versatility (1B, 3B, 2B) was an issue as in determining where he would win.. But D.J. didn’t win.
